Tommy The Cat

Can soemone please tell me how to play this...i really onle need help at the tab where it goes 5 on the d string to 5 on the E string then 4 then 3 then 0 while popping the 5 on the D. I'm not too sure about this part...thanks in advance

At least I think that's how I play it, I'm not good at tabbing stuff out. All sixteenth notes except the dyad at the begining and the d at the end. The only real difference in the 6 string version is the dyad at the begining, the E on the d string is played an octave higher. The rest is he does fills on the B string. Entire song is totally doable on a 4, that's how Claypool wrote it. I could tab out the rest, but, meh too much work. I think a lot of the tabs around are accurate actually. I know the guitar pro version is fairly accurate, too notey though. As you can see it's very few notes, mostly dead notes.

actually just go over to www.powertabs.net (power tab is a good crutch program which plays the songs in midi for you) its free too. The tab actually has a decending bass line on the E string. The whole tab is correct except some timing things that you have to listen to different versions (live and otherwise) to get good at. Also, the tab will make more sense if you watch the Tommy The Cat music video (download or DVD) cuz its a closeup of les doing it on a six string (can be transposed, it was originally done before he owned a sixer and he often plays it on a jazz bass). I assure you if you use this tab (pretty difficult) you can eventually get it good, i can do it in my sleep now, but it was the first song i slapped to, prepare for RSSyndrome

Originally posted by xolin actually just go over to www.powertabs.net (power tab is a good crutch program which plays the songs in midi for you) its free too. The tab actually has a decending bass line on the E string. The whole tab is correct except some timing things that you have to listen to different versions (live and otherwise) to get good at. Also, the tab will make more sense if you watch the Tommy The Cat music video (download or DVD) cuz its a closeup of les doing it on a six string (can be transposed, it was originally done before he owned a sixer and he often plays it on a jazz bass). I assure you if you use this tab (pretty difficult) you can eventually get it good, i can do it in my sleep now, but it was the first song i slapped to, prepare for RSSyndrome

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I use powertabs. THey saved my life. Now im spoiled and i get pissed when the song i want to learn doesnt have a powertab and i have to go back to the primitive method

Originally posted by sunburstbasser This is my edited version (Puddin' Time!) of the main riff

Tommy The Cat:
Decending line is tough at first while holding the 5 on the D string, and the 0333 on the E is fast thumping, but the hammer on helps the speed, try to get it timed well (eighth notes), and of course strum the sus chord (on four string do power chord by moving the 4 on the C to a 2 on the D string): lAter in the song (after bass solo) he moves this down a fifth to the b string, i dont know how on 4 string (cuz i dont own one!). Also, after the 3h5 at parts of the song he does strumming chords down the high strings to go back to the G4,C4 (ie 7,7 6,6, 5,5, 4,4 on the respective strings).
The rest im too lazy to tab out:

Listen to the live version and the recorded for timing stuff on the riff (and some muted notes)...its not pure quarter notes always.

That slide in the beginning (ACTUALLY) goes like this (watch video, he holds the G for a bit while sliding up then continues up to the 10 or further):
A------------------------------------------
E-----------------/3---/10\----------------

The problem with all those tabs is that Tommy the Cat is mostly harmonics, not dead notes. You can hear it if you listen carefully to either the recorded or live versions, there's a lot of quiet harmonics in there. I believe that if you watch the Rhinoplasty video, you can watch Claypool do this absurd jump halfway up the neck to hit a couple harmonics at one point. I'ts been a while since I've seen that video, though, so don't count on my memory being accurate. It's certainly not as simple as those tabs would have you believe, or I'd already know how to play it and sound like Claypool.

Originally posted by GobyWan The problem with all those tabs is that Tommy the Cat is mostly harmonics, not dead notes. You can hear it if you listen carefully to either the recorded or live versions, there's a lot of quiet harmonics in there. I believe that if you watch the Rhinoplasty video, you can watch Claypool do this absurd jump halfway up the neck to hit a couple harmonics at one point. I'ts been a while since I've seen that video, though, so don't count on my memory being accurate. It's certainly not as simple as those tabs would have you believe, or I'd already know how to play it and sound like Claypool.

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I've been playing this song for a while, first with the Suck on This and then the Sailing the Seas version. There are no harmonics. That flying hand thing les did was just a flashy mute after he struck the last double-stop.

All of those little noises you hear are just from the slapping of the E string (right before the slap-hammer-on on the dstring he does a very fast quadruplet slap 033x on the e string and his thumb hitting the string (as in all slapping) creates the high pitched overtone...I can match the sailing tone with my hartke amp if i contour to higher pitches. It sounds like harmonics but it isnt, it just happens if you slap head on like he does, unless your stroking the string i dont see how you wouldnt get that sound when slapping)...woops forgot to close brackets. Trust me, this one is pretty good...live he does some timing changes with the riff (well, not timing changes, but he puts more emphasis on certain notes and tends to deaden some, but its preference really...the song can sound 100 different ways..up to you), and during the tommy verse he mutes with his palm a bit to quiet down.

Heres where you get the powertab version. Also go to the downloads section (or to www.power-tab.net) to download the free small software to read it and play it (it plays in midi , will sound as good as your sound card will let it (you can change midi settings inside the program)):